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Exhibition news: The Senses ; Interactive Perception at HADA Contemporary

News of an upcoming exhibition in the Albemarle Gallery, 7-29 October:

THE SENSES ; INTERACTIVE PERCEPTION
BAE JOONSUNG | CHA JONGRYE | HONG SUNGCHUL
7 – 29 OCTOBER 2011

HADA Contemporary October 2011 exhibition

HADA Contemporary is pleased to present ‘The Senses ; Interactive Perception’ a group exhibition with artists Bae Joonsung, Cha Jongrye and Hong Sungchul.

Although at first they may seem very different, the three artists included in the present exhibition share in their works a common denominator. Bae Joonsung, Hong Sungchul and Cha Jongrye have developed distinctive artistic languages, which encourage a dynamic experience from the viewer. Developing concepts touched by both Optical and Kinetic Art, this young generation of Korean artists creates socially engaged works that in their own unique way bridge the gap between Western and Eastern figuration.

The artists’ aim is to understand how the viewers perceive, remember and interact with their creations, to explore the internal mental processes that originate when these artworks are enjoyed. In this sense, using a term borrowed from psychology, one could venture to define this as “Cognitive Art”. The artworks need to be felt besides being watched and observed therefore establishing a fruitful interaction between the senses and the materials. One has to enter into a physical communication with the objects on display. This is even more evident in the previous series of works by Bae Joonsung, where the artist, instead of using the device of the lenticular lens, painted directly onto transparent acrylic plastic films, which, laid on the photograph’s surface, were meant to be drawn aside by the viewer in order to completely reveal the underlying composition. Contrary to Kinetic Art, which depends on the motion of its elements for its effects, these works – which are clearly static – depend on the movement of the observer. They have to be viewed from different angles, to be walked around in order to be fully appreciated. One has to move, change position and perspective to reveal the Asian female nudes lurking under Bae Joonsung’s lenticular lenses or to see the 3-D images printed on Hong Sungchul’s strings.

Cha Jongrye’s compositions on the other hand, though motionless because of their medium – i.e. carved wood – have nonetheless a strong dynamic character. The swirling shapes protruding from the background resemble the movements of fluid lava or the natural shapes of limestone stalactites and stalagmites. Moreover Cha Jongrye’s modular compositions, made of geometric grids and organic forms, stimulate a new spatial awareness in the viewer, who gets almost sucked into the carved panels.

HADA CONTEMPORARY
49 Albemarle Street
London W1S 4JR
Tel. +44 (0)207 629 2981
Fax. +44 (0)20 7499 1717
[email protected]
www.hadacontemporary.com

About HADA CONTEMPORARY
The ethos of the gallery is to introduce established and emerging artists from Korea and neighbouring countries in the Far East to audiences in London and other major cities throughout Europe. Conversely the gallery will strive to bridge East and West cultural divisions in contemporary art by promoting European artists in Korea and countries further afield. In nurturing artists from both Europe and the Far East, HADA Contemporary aims to cultivate the relationship between these most current and dynamic artistic arenas equally rich in their history of art.

Also in the ground floor space of Albemarle Gallery will be Albemarle regulars Lee Jae-hyo and Kim Yeon:

Lee Jae-hyoLee Jae-hyo’s work shows immense respect for natural materials, but also the will to dominate what nature has provided. One is immediately struck by the perfection of his craftsmanship, and led to reflect on the many long hours of hard physical labour that must have gone into the production of these immaculate, yet also intricate objects.

Kim YeonKim Yeon’s sculptures encourage moments of meditation and contemplation from the viewer. Sections of streams and rivers are captured in a state of stasis, tranquility and calm. Yeon’s vibrantly coloured autumnal leaves are suspended within the soft, liquid appearance of resin accentuating their fragility.

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